


Sleeping

by JustPlainJane



Category: NCIS
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-11
Updated: 2015-12-15
Packaged: 2018-05-06 02:02:41
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,118
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5398706
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JustPlainJane/pseuds/JustPlainJane
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gibbs spends more time than he'd like to admit sleeping next to or near Kate.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first thing I've written in over a year so at this point I can't tell if it's awful or not. Sorry!

The first time he sleeps next to Kate, it's entirely innocent. They're surrounded by other people. She didn't want to have to sleep next to DiNozzo and Tim didn't trust her not to be in on some kind of prank. So, after an irritating ten minutes of arguing, he'd given in and snapped that McGee and Tony would sleep apart and he'd bed down with Kate.

And then he found himself stirring awake at three in the morning. Curled around her, the gentle curve of her ass tucked against his groin and his face tucked down against the sweetly fragranced cloud of her hair.

And he loved it.

Not necessarily because occasionally she'd make little noises at the back of her throat and try and work herself back closer to him, the soft fullness of her behind grinding against him until he soothed her with a hand on her hip, thumb rubbing gentle circles, but because it was so god-damned intimate. So he allowed himself to stay close for a while, revel in fantasies of being able to rub his lips against her throat or slip his hand under her shirt or pretend he had any right to feel the swell of affection sitting heavy in his chest.

  
The second time's not so innocent. They're both exhausted after a particularly trying case. He offers to drive her home and then offers to walk her up to her front door. When there, he clears his throat awkwardly at how jumpy she still looks, how close she seems to want to stay.   
  
"Kate. You're safe. We got 'im, you did good." He murmurs, stepping into her apartment and herding her back. "Shower. Go on. I'll hang around until you're ready." He forces a weary but warm smile as she mutters her thanks and scuttles away.

When she comes out of the bathroom, he's nursing a cup of coffee and she looks no more settled so it's no chore to convince himself she'd sleep better with him on the couch. He doesn't have to feel guilt when he vocalizes this suggestion or recognize that same swell of affection when she accepts gratefully and sets him up with a pillow and blankets, silken pajama shorts showing off sinfully long legs when she bends over.

When she crawls in next to him on the couch in the small hours of the morning, he holds her close against his chest, breathes in her scent. "You got a bed for a reason, Katie." He grumbles sleepily, drawing in a sharp breath when nimble fingers find their way under his shirt to stroke over his ribs.   
  
"Just want to...feel you." She replies quietly, teeth worrying her lower lip while he chuckles.   
  
"Feel me? Huh. There I thought feelin' was DiNozzo's thing." He can practically feel the relief roll off her that he won't raise serious points against her hands on him so early in the morning, when she wants reminding that good people are just as real and firm and there as the killer was.  
  
"If DiNozzo tou about you the way I do, he'd probably be demanding therapy or something." She sounds like she's on the edge of laughter until he gives in and lets his fingertips slide under the hem of her pajama top and trace the span of waistband between her hips.   
  
"And just how do you think of me?" He murmurs against her hair, all hopes of sleep and traces of good sense or sanity suddenly long gone.  
He's distracted from the brief spark of hope of her tangling their legs together, mouthing near innocent kisses against his jaw by the way she tenses as a door slams loudly off somewhere else in the building. He catches her lips in a gentle kiss. "It's alright." He soothes quietly. "No-one's gonna hurt you. I'm right here." He abandons her hips to guide her hand up to press flat against his chest, his heartbeat pounding against it as he drops his own hand back to the curve of her back. He steals another kiss, nips at her lower lip and teases at her tongue until she moans into his mouth. He kisses her until his cock's so hard it hurts and every ounce of tension's melted away from her body. He peels himself away to nose affectionately at her cheek. "We shouldn't do this now." He murmurs, grunting lowly as she hooks one leg over his hip and grinds into him. "I mean it. You need to sleep and relax." She just smirks and nips at his jaw.   
  
"This is relaxing, Gibbs." She insists quietly, pressing kisses against his neck, whining when he pushes her away carefully.  
  
"Y'need to rest. Bed. Now." He arches an eyebrow, sits up and fixes her with the infamous Gibbs' glare until she nods and retreats back to her room, swaying her hips and listening to him chuckle.

There had been days of awkward tension after that. Days of him pretending he hadn't slunk out of her apartment at 6am, days of her unsure of where she stood.

Until the first time he doesn't sleep next to her, but with her. Until she gets sick of being avoided and slides cleanly into the lift behind him and hits the emergency stop, crowds him into a corner and kisses him hard.

And he snaps. Hoists her up against the wall and drags a hand up her skirt, circling her clit through her panties.

"You have no idea how long I've wanted this." He growls against her lips and she moans in response, beautiful and free and god, he wants to drown in her. She's got her fingers in his hair, tugging gently every time his calloused fingers stray too far from the wetness already seeping through her underwear and he can't decide what he wants more, to be on his knees eating her and keeping her teetering on the edge or to be inside of her, forcing her to earth-shattering orgasm.

In the end, he drags his hand away from her cunt to unbutton her blouse, having to force himself to go slow and not tear buttons off because he can't afford anyone knowing about this. It's worth it when her shirt is finally open, breasts encased in pale lace and vulnerable to his greedy touch. He mouths biting kisses over her collarbones, leaving marks along the skin as she grinds herself into his denim-encased cock with desperate moans. He tugs her bra down under one breast to suck roughly on a nipple and is surprised by how loudly she cries out, jerking hard against him, her thighs tightening around his waist. He has to stop and try and catch his breath, lips pressed against her shoulder as she pulls at his hair again.  
  
"Need you. Now. Gibbs, please." She mumbles and he nods jerkily.  
  
"Gonna have to put you down." He mutters and she nods, returning shaking legs down to the ground and pressing kisses that he doesn't dare label as 'loving' along his jaw and neck as he fumbles with his pants and underwear, forcing them open so he can release his dick before lifting her back up, pinning her against the wall and easing a small knife out of his pocket so he can cut her panties away from her body and hide them away with his knife again.  
He wraps one hand around the thick shaft of his cock, rubs the head teasingly over her clit and pussy, lets her wetness slick down over him until her quiet begging gets to him and he pushes inside of her and relishes the loud moan of his name falling from her lips. He buries his face down against her neck as she clenches around him.  
  
"We should have done this in my apartment." She admonishes breathlessly and at that moment in time he can't think why they didn't. He starts with slow, deep thrusts that have her whimpering as one hand finds her clit again, breath catching in her throat. By the time he's lowered his mouth down to her nipple again, his thrusts have quickened and sweat's beading on his brow as she chants his name.   
  
"So beautiful like this, Katie," he nips playfully at her skin "How 'M I supposed to ever look at you again?" She just groans a plea and he takes pity, teeth dragging over her nipple as his thumb works hard over her clit until she cums loudly, nails dragging over his still-clothed shoulders. He has to hesitate a moment before managing three more jerky thrusts and finishing deep inside of her with little more than a heavily restrained groan. He's barely aware of her stroking soothingly through his hair as he rubs his sweaty forehead against her shoulder.  
  
"Maybe your nickname should be 'sex machine'." She teases quietly and he hums out a gruff laugh, bumping his nose affectionately against her jaw as he lifts his head to steal a near tender kiss. He lets her legs slide slowly from his grasp back to the floor, wipes hair back from her face as she re-adjusts her bra and does her shirt back up. He tucks himself back into his trousers and flips the emergency stop switch back off, clearing his throat awkwardly as the elevator shudders back into life.

  
Behind him, Kate wets her lips nervously before squeezing the top of his arm gently. "It doesn't have to be anything more than that. It's fine. I just....couldn't stand us being like that anymore."

He nods sharply but doesn't bother giving a proper response, just hurries out of the elevator the second he's able to.

When Gibbs goes to bed that night, he dreams she's there beside him, expanses of creamy skin waiting for him to bite marks into, legs tangled into his and her face pressed against his chest. When he wakes, he wants her so badly it makes his teeth itch and his arms feel so empty they ache.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Everyone seemed to like part one of this, which was really lovely so thank you for all your kind words!  
> I sort of liked the sad cliff-hang-y ending but since you all wanted to see them a little happier and had been so nice, I've tried my best to write a somewhat happier second chapter and was actually surprised by how much I enjoyed continuing to write this! This entire chapter is subject to editing because I wrote it on my phone, usually at around 2am, so I've not settled on certain bits of it/the grammar or wording of some of it.

Kate spent the next few weeks avoiding him. No, not avoiding. Avoiding he could have dealt with. Avoiding would have meant her ignoring or forcing away his presence and she didn't. She didn't react negatively towards him at all. She just acted as though they were nothing more than acquaintances or co-workers with painfully little in common. She'd still come to him for advice but only about cases, didn't seek his approval of her decisions to the same level she had.  
She didn't make any effort to really avoid his presence but she'd carefully duck away from any attempt to touch her, no matter how small. She was completely empathetic towards him. And somehow he struggled to deal with that more than if she'd been angry he didn't know how to deal with her outside of fleeting moments of intimacy anymore or furious that he'd allowed himself the luxury of those moments of intimacy.

He spent some of his time trying to corner her, the rest feeling guilty about having tried to corner her when she clearly didn't want to be near him.

He supposed he should have resolved things in his own mind before trying to convince her to change hers from whatever decision she'd clearly made, but he didn't. He found himself longing for her presence, then jolting away from those thoughts like she was a flame he'd held his hand too close to.

He's dropped down heavily against the side of a half-built boat in his basement he's gotten too frustrated to work with and actually trying to make a start on figuring out what he wants when she comes stalking elegantly down the stairs.

"Your phone's off." She states, shoulders tense and brow furrowed. He nods but doesn't reply, swallowing down a mouthful of bourbon. "And your front door's unlocked." She pushes. He hasn't looked up at her again since he realised who exactly was coming down into his basement, determined that the best way to stop himself wanting her is to distance himself but he hears her shift her weight on a creaky step and imagines the way she'd scowl deeper and fold her arms in front of her chest.  
  
"I never lock my front door." He replies a little sullenly. "'M  tryna think, Kate, Whaddaya want?" He hears her huff out an irritated breath.  
  
"I want you to stop being unreachable. We've got a case and Abby needs you and you're not there." He's just about to clamber to his feet when she continues. "And I want you to stop breaking your own rules. Or at least have the balls to break them properly." She sounds fraught and it hurts more than he'd expected. He snorts out a quiet laugh to distract himself from the urge to go to her, tell her that he doesn't know how to deal with a Caitlin Todd wanting him, that every dream he's had recently has been haunted by her. She turns on her heel and starts to storm off back up the stairs but he calls her back, empties out a jar and refills it part way with bourbon, holding it out to her quietly.  
  
"I don't want you leavin' like that, Katie." He mutters quietly, and he truly doesn't, he's just not entirely certain how much he can let himself care and whether it's safe to show her how much he does. She's practically seething with impatience.  
  
"It doesn't have to be more than it was." She insists, just like she'd been trying to convince herself since it had happened. "And we have a case. Dead marine." She's doing her best to fix the cool composure she's had in place for the past few days but it's fast melting and she wants to burrow into the safety of his arms and ask him to just explain what all of this is supposed to mean because she doesn't know and she desperately wants to. He guides the makeshift cup down to the workbench, suddenly uncomfortably aware of just how intense her stare is.  
  
"Alright. I'll drive." He offers, because work is always easier than this, retrieving his phone from where he'd stashed it on a top shelf to stop it bothering him and digging his keys out of his pocket. When he's three steps in front of her, she still hasn't moved and he can smell her perfume and see the rage in her eyes and he's suddenly tempted to seek forgiveness like a scolded child. She simply shakes her head and holds her hand out, the corner of her mouth twitching into a smile he's missed more than he thought he would.  
  
"I was half-way through dinner. I'm not risking that half a meal covering your dashboard." He grins wide and barks out a genuine laugh, infuriating affection swelling in his chest again at the way it makes her smile grow as he drops his car keys into her hand.  
  
"Lead the way, then, agent Todd." She nods sharply, warm smile still on her lips as she turns and starts to head back up the stairs. "Eyes front, Gunny," she taunts and he stares openly at her rather lovely behind just to see if she'll notice.

It's more awkward in the car, when they're transitioning between an almost argument and work frigidity.  
  
"Shoulda brought that bourbon." He jokes weakly and she nods, gripping the steering wheel so tightly her knuckles turn white. Her gaze is fixed on the road so she won't have to look at him and he watches her out of the corner of his eye. She's dressed in her work clothes but something's off. It niggles at him until he focusses his full attention on her and works it out. Half way through dinner. Clothes near impeccable as always but slightly crumpled, as if she'd gotten changed and yanked them on in a hurry. "You were on a date?" He asks quietly and it stings like a slap that maybe it had been nothing more than an ill-advised fling to her.

She nods and adjusts her grip, trying to tighten it further. "It was just dinner. He was...sweet." She manages.  
  
"And yet you left that date to find me when DiNozzo said he couldn't." She doesn't respond and he understands why it irritates her so much when he doesn't. "It doesn't have to be more than it was." He reminds her quietly. "'M just curious."

He doesn't press things further and they sit in silence before her wanting to talk things over with someone she trusted won out.  
  
"There was nothing technically wrong with him. Or the date. It just...I don't know. It felt robotic, I guess. Like there was some checklist he was meeting for the perfect date and it just wasn't working. Okay?"  
He nods and presses himself back into his seat a little, envying her for having the distraction of driving.  
  
"Where did you go? It can't have been that bad." He allows himself the small pleasure of watching her, brow furrowed in focus and lower lip caught between her teeth.  
  
"Definitely in the top five for worst dates." She mumbles with an awkward chuckle, hoping that joking around would be enough to distract them both from the rapidly building uncomfortable tension. "We went for Italian. He stumbled over the names of dishes, I laughed but it just annoyed him."

She smirks slowly as Gibbs hums disbelievingly. "That makes it into your top five worst? God, that's enough to make it into my top five best."

She laughs and shakes her head.  "It's not the first. I'd say the absolute worst was when I was seventeen. We went ice skating. I broke my foot and his nose."

It's his turn to laugh this time. "Mm. I'll give you that's worse than mine. We got caught with her in my lap."

He's strangely proud when she tears her eyes away from the road just long enough to toss him a confused, teasing smirk. "That is definitely not that bad. You just push her away and act like it was nothing."

"Couldn't exactly push her away with my cock inside her." He says before he can muster the sense to stop himself, and he watches a flush creep up her neck to paint her cheeks. "Sorry." He mutters, though he's not entirely certain why. She looks almost as good blushing as she does trying not to laugh at one of DiNozzo's stupid jokes.  
  
Kate scrubs a hand over her face, doing her best not to fidget too much and keep her focus on the road. "It's fine. That would be pretty awful, I guess."

They lapse easily into uncomfortable silence, with Gibbs going over and over in his mind the things he should be saying but can't quite seem to force out of himself and Kate doing her best to pretend driving is a good enough distraction from him.  
  
 "What d'you think'd have to happen for it to be the best date, then?" He asks eventually, when they're stuck in traffic due to their own crime scene. She claims she doesn't know and starts hunting through the bag she'd dumped in the back of his car for her jacket.  
  
"Not many guys are that accommodating when they try and surprise you at work and you tell them you need to wash dead people off your hands." She jokes as she undoes her seatbelt to tug her jacket on.

Gibbs hums, watching her for a brief moment more. "If it'd been me, I wouldn't have let you leave for work. Wouldn't have taken you for Italian, though, either." He lets out a quiet, smug, little chuckle and turns his gaze back to her to find she's been staring.

"What do you want, Gibbs? It's like you go from wanting to be as close as possible to acting like you think I'll destroy you and it's driving me insane." She asks quietly, and he can't quite control the irritation that flares inside of him.

"I've been driving you insane? Hell, how d'you think I've felt these past few weeks?!" He watches her face contort with anger and it only serves to fuel his own.  
  
"How else did you expect me to be? We had sex in an elevator and then you acted like you wished you'd never even touched me!" She near enough snarls at him and he's momentarily enraged at how easily someone so intelligent could let their judgement be clouded by irrational fears, but he forces it down. It wouldn't be helpful now. It would only make her hate him more now. "I was not acting like that. You wouldn't come near me. It hurt."

"Because you barely acknowledged  I existed for days!" He sighs irritably, impatient because they're going round in circles and there's no-where else for them to go.  
  
 "I'll walk the rest of the way to the crime scene. Can't be far." He mutters, hoping that he can walk off some of his anger rather than take it out on her.

As he reaches to open the door, she fists a hand into his shirt and makes him twist back around to face her.  
  
"No. You storming off isn't going to get us anywhere. What do you want? Do you want to just leave things as they were between us?" He stares at her a moment, frustration building because he doesn't know how to explain what he wants, let alone how to deal with it should he get it.

So, he leans over and kisses her. Hard. Almost as if he's trying to push some of his rage over onto her, needing to see her feel something more than controlled anger. She lets out a surprised little moan as he slides a hand into her hair, tugs gently. "That. I want that." He says when he finally pulls back slightly, his lips brushing hers when he speaks. "I wanna wake up next to you on a Sunday mornin' and argue about who has to get up and make breakfast. I wanna coax you out of bed on a Monday and feel you against me when we fall back into it at night. I wanna press my lips to every inch of you and I want to see you fall apart beneath me." He drags his lips over her jaw. "I want everythin', Kate. And believe it or not, that's terrifyin' as all hell to me."

She threads fingers into his hair to stroke gently and he suddenly wishes he could be closer to her, wishes his pride would stop holding him back from crawling into her lap and asking her to push the pieces of whatever's between them together however she likes.

He can practically hear her thinking and it only serves to set his frayed nerves on edge when she doesn't reply for a long while and he's stuck awkwardly draped over the centre console but unwilling to break whatever contact with her he can get.

"That was...more than I was expecting." She murmurs eventually, lower lip caught between her teeth for a brief moment. "Being with me won't destroy you, Gibbs. Or me. Or anything."

  
"It might. Not sure it's a risk I want to take." Even to his own ears he sounds petulant but it makes her laugh a little.

"Then don't take it." She gently frees her fingers from his hair and, after pressing a kiss to his forehead, settles back into her seat, heart a little heavier.

No matter what she wanted, she'd tried rushing Gibbs and that hadn't gone well. If he wanted her enough to risk either of them getting hurt, he'd make it clear. If he didn't, well he'd probably make that clear too.

 

Despite their little scene in the car, things are decidedly less frosty than they have been for a while at the crime scene. Almost back to normal.

But, occasionally, Kate would catch Gibbs watching her and struggle to brush it off with the smile and sarcastic remark she usually would.  
Or worse, DiNozzo would catch Kate watching Gibbs and make comments that would earn him a firm head smack.  


That night, long after Gibbs has sent everyone home and Kate has settled in for the night with a bowl of microwave pasta and some stupid movie Tony's been bugging her to watch for months, he lets himself into her flat. And it's not as creepy to her as it should be. He offers a smile that could almost be called hesitant and starts laying out food on the coffee table while Kate tips away her microwave meal and wishes she'd worn nicer pyjamas.


End file.
